Tokyo in Love
by Kuri.Kuri.89
Summary: [AU] Kaoru starts a new life as an English teacher in Tokyo. Follow her stories in Tokyo as she develops odd relationships with the coworkers she befriends. Faced with numerous challenges, her world continues to turn upside-down in the eccentric city of Tokyo! (True Story) KxK, AxM, SxM
1. Chapter 1: A New Life

A/N: In no way do I own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters. I do, however, own this story. This story is based on my true life events with a little bit of a Rurouni Kenshin twist to it because… they make all stories more interesting lol My first year in Tokyo was perhaps one of the craziest, yet happiest experiences in my life and I'm glad to share these stories with you through the Rurouni Kenshin characters. I'll do my best to make this as exciting as I possibly can! Also, I need to revise the summary. It's way too cheesy for my tastes lol

This story will be great for those interested in how it would be to live as an ALT in Japan! Or even for those just interested in what life in Japan in general would be like.

JET- Japanese English Teacher (usually a native Japanese person)

ALT- Assistant Language Teacher (usually a foreigner)

An ALT must always work with a JET and is not allowed to use Japanese within the classroom. Constant coordination and planning is necessary for a smooth class.

Time is set in Modern Day Tokyo. Okay, enough chit-chat, let's begin!

* * *

 **Tokyo in Love**

Chapter 1 – A New Life

Kaoru Kamiya had just graduated from college a couple of years ago. She was currently working as an administrative assistant for a small company, saving up money for her move to Tokyo next week, which would be the beginning of May. She had spent a year studying abroad in Kyoto a few years back and was half-Japanese herself, so she really enjoyed the culture. She applied to teach Enlgish at a company in Tokyo and they accepted her in a heartbeat. Maybe it was because of her beauty or charisma during the interview, but either way, she was thrilled to be moving to Tokyo soon.

She was looking at herself through a small compact mirror she held in her hand. She took a quick look at herself, making sure her mascara hadn't smeared and given her a raccoon look. But her eyes looked bright blue as usual and her long black hair flawlessly cascaded down her shoulders and down to her mid back where the ends were just lightly curled. All straight was just too boring for her. She adjusted her bangs to frame around her face the way she wanted then quickly shut her compact mirror and slid it into her purse that was laying on her lap. She could hear the footsteps of someone approaching from within the office.

"Kaoru, we are going to miss you." The company president walked towards the reception desk with a card in his hand and placed it in front of Kaoru. The card had a picture of a plane flying off with the words 'Fly to your dreams…'

"Aww, thank you Mr. Smith!" Everyone who had ever known Kaoru knew that it was her dream for the past 7 years to become an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Japan. It's basically all she ever talked about. Kaoru stood up and gave the president a hug. He was like the black father she never had. Literally. No figure of speech here, guys. He was black, and he was really like a father to her. He always worried about her and asked about her family, not that there was much to say about her family. "Remember, if you're ever in Tokyo, let me know! I'll be your personal tour guide!" Kaoru beamed a smile at him, putting her purse strap onto her shoulder.

"Giiiiirl, you gotta bring me some of that sushi when you get back." Layna butted in, walking towards the two. She was one of Kaoru's good friends and co-worker she had made within the company.

"Okay, but don't blame me if it tastes a little fishy!" The three chuckled together and said their final farewells. For some reason, she was so busy with packing and processing paperwork that she didn't have time to feel any sadness. She only felt excitement in her heart.

* * *

Kaoru stirred awake as she felt the plane's force slow down as it not so gracefully landed on the pavement of Haneda Airport. She looked out her window and saw many lights in the distance, but it was hard to make out anything because of the exhaustion of a long flight. But she had made it to Tokyo!

"Please keep your seatbelts fastened until the plane has come to a complete stop and the seatbelt light has turned off." And of course, everyone unbuckled his or her seatbelts despite the plane still slowly moving towards the terminal. _Well whatever, everyone else is doing it, so will I._ She followed all the other passengers, picking up her luggage, going through customs, and then finally going through the doors. There, her friend Yumi gracefully waved and beckoned for her "Kaoru, over here!" Kaoru walked over to Yumi and they embraced each other for a moment. Kaoru had met Yumi while studying abroad in Kyoto, and now they were going to live with each other since Yumi had a vacant room.

"Thank you so much for coming to get me!"

"It's no problem! Thank you for coming and living with me!" Yumi winked. Her outfits were just as revealing as how she last remembered her. Despite this, Yumi was a really beautiful half-Japanese, half-Chinese girl with perfect English. Kaoru always admired Yumi's beauty and talents. The girl spoke 3 languages perfectly!

"I'm so tired and ready for bed!" Kaoru yawned, looping her arm with Yumi's.

"It'll be another hour or two until we get home, honey!"

"Speaking of which, are we taking the trains to your place?"

"With all of your luggage, don't be silly! You wouldn't be able to fit in a single train car with your load! My boyfriend is parked outside. I just texted him to pull up front, so you should be able to meet him pretty soon." They walked outside the airport, and sure enough, a car lightly honked at them to come over. A medium height man came out from the BMW, kissing Yumi on the cheek and then extending his hand out to Kaoru.

"The name's Shishio Makoto. You can call me Shishio." He had really rough skin and a husky voice, not to mention a creepy smile.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance… Thank you for picking me up." Kaoru replied, lightly shaking his hand.

"Ha, your friend is more Japanese than any of my friends! Is she really from America?" Shishio smirked at Yumi, to which Yumi just rolled her eyes.

"She's just really sweet. Now grab her luggage and put it in the trunk!" After the two playfully bickered for a bit, they were on their way to Yumi's and now Kaoru's place.

"How long have you two been dating?" Kaoru asked curiously. They were stuck in traffic and it looked like it might be another hour before they'd arrive.

"Saaa, how long has it been, Yumi?" Shishio asked as he placed his hands on her thighs.

"16 days to be exact!" Yumi replied, placing her hand atop his.

 _That's really… short. Well, this is kinda awkward…_

"You two sure are lovey-dovey, aren't you?" Kaoru joked, wishing she had someone like that in her life. Yumi simply smiled back at Kaoru. Kaoru looked out the window as they went over Rainbow Bridge. It had such a fantastic view of Tokyo! The lights from all the buildings at night twinkled blue and white and Tokyo Tower glowed in its orange radiance. It was like she was flying through the city at night. It all looked so surreal to her. But it was real.

 _And this is just the beginning…_ Kaoru smiled to herself.

* * *

After they were dropped off, Yumi gave Kaoru a tour of their apartment. For an apartment in Tokyo, it was quite large to Kaoru's surprise. Upon entering, there were stairs to the left and the bathroom to the right. Past the bathroom was a very large living room with very little furniture. All that was inside was a two-seated sofa, a television, and a small computer desk. She could see that the room received a great deal of natural light from the back wall, which wasn't a wall at all- it was a giant sliding glass door that led to a laughable amount of backyard space. Glancing around the room, she couldn't help but to notice how empty the place looked. There were absolutely no decorations to top it off.

Sensing what Kaoru was thinking, she nervously laughed. "Well, I'm living by myself, so I didn't want to fill it up with only my stuff. There's space for you're stuff, too!"

"Oh, okay! Hahaha, I'll definitely get us a kotatsu to put in here! I just adore them!" Yumi laughed and nodded, walking back to the front door. (a/n: kotatsu- a Japanese coffee-like table with a heater connected inside and a removable blanket) Kaoru followed Yumi and up the stairs. The stairs led to two doors directly across from each other. To the left was Kaoru's room- it was Japanese style, in that it had sliding doors and tatami mats. The room was of normal size, but the smell of tatami was trapped in the room. Not that she minded, but it did smell kind of strong. Yumi's room was across from hers, and it was western style. Her room was overflowing with random things such as clothes, stationery, etc. Yumi quickly shut her door after letting Kaoru peek in. "Haha, I really need to clean it some time!"

"Well let me know when, and I'll be glad to help!" Kaoru smiled at Yumi. After saying goodnight to each other, Kaoru went into her room. She felt so excited to have a Japanese style-room! Placing her luggage into the corner of the room, she opened up a giant brown package containing the futon that she had ordered and shipped a week beforehand. She quickly jumped in and immediately fell asleep, exhausted from her long journey. Japanese futons always felt like there was someone on top of you, lightly snuggling you till you fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning Kaoru spent her time shopping with her roommate at a 100 Yen shop called Daiso, followed by other home furnishings at a store called Nitori. She had never really lived with anyone for a long amount of time, so it was really exciting to be shopping with another girl. Kaoru picked out a kotatsu, leaf-patterned curtains, and other necessities while Yumi picked out a rug and smaller things. The two enjoyed the day together, exploring the area around these two stores. Even though it wasn't it the very center of Tokyo, there were plenty of stores everywhere!

Kaoru was amazed at how green Tokyo was! Most modern cities were 95% cement and structures, but everywhere she looked, she could easily find trees or bushes. _The Japanese really don't want to lose their connection with nature, that's for sure._ She was already in love with this city. The only part she didn't like was where their apartment was located. Nothing was nearby except for 1 convenient store. The entire area was residential only. Not only that, but it took 15 minutes to walk to the station! (A/N: Most people prefer to generally live between 5 and 10 minutes from the station)

'I guess I'll be staying fit…' Kaoru mused to herself. At least rent was pretty decent. 50,000 yen per month was honestly really good in her opinion. (A/N: Roughly $500 USD) You wouldn't be able to get a nice place at all for $500 a month in her state.

After having dinner at a ramen shop, the two practiced English and Japanese with each other.

"I hate katakana words so much!" Kaoru exclaimed as they walked home. (A/N: Katakana words are foreign words pronounced with a strong Japanese accent)

"Eh, why?" Yumi asked curiously. Katakana words weren't that difficult to her.

"Because it's like butchering a language! The other day I spent forever trying to spell out 'Australia' in Japanese! How is it o-su-to-ree-ri-a? I think that if the katakana system were gone, the Japanese would be much better at English. A lot of people depend on the katakana pronunciation, and it's just not precise at all!" Kaoru sighed in exasperation. She had begun teaching business classes for a week now and realized how bad English pronunciation is in Japan because of the reliance of the katakana system.

"Well, it's an important part of their culture. Some words are cute, I think! Like… Rabu-rabu(Love-Love= lovey-dovey), or pinku(pink)." Yumi giggled at the last one.

"I guess I should just try harder at katakana words!" Kaoru laughed.

They reached their apartment after a long walk from the ramen shop and plopped onto the couch. They each had bought themselves an interesting drink from the convenient store on the way back. Kaoru sipped at her coconut milk with small tapioca inside. Her eyebrows shot up in amazement. "Wow, Yumi, try this! This is the best thing I've ever put in my mouth!"

"And just what have you been putting in your mouth?" Yumi squinted her eyes at Kaoru as she took a sip of Kaoru's drink. Kaoru rolled her eyes at her.

"Wow, this is really good! I'll have to get some next time!"

"What did you get?" Kaoru asked, watching Yumi stick a straw into her drink.

"Oh, just milk tea. I didn't feel like being adventurous today!"

"Laaaame." Kaoru commented, turning back to her creamy coconut drink. Yumi leaned back into the sofa and looked down at her milk tea carton in her hands.

"Ne, Kaoru, I have a question."

"Hmm? Sure, ask away." Kaoru set down her drink because of the seriousness she sensed in Yumi's voice.

"How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

Kaoru choked on a tapioca ball and turned beet red. She glanced over at Yumi, who was still looking down at her drink.

 _Is she seriously asking me this? Really? She's been boy-crazy since I met her and she's still a virgin?_

"I'm asking because I've never done it with anyone before. I've had plenty of chances, but my parents raised me to protect the one thing that can always be mine." The room was silent for a while and Kaoru managed to swallow the one tapioca ball stuck in her throat.

"I think I was about…" Kaoru pondered for a second, doing some calculation in her head as she looked up at the ceiling. "20 years old."

"I really want to do it with Shishio. He's so sexual all the time, I find him so tempting…"

 _… Really?_ Kaoru internally grimaced. "Well if you love him, I don't see a problem with that. But if you don't and are just looking for a reason to have sex with someone, I don't think that's the brightest of ideas."

"Were you in love with the first person you did it with, Kaoru?" Yumi finally looked over at Kaoru.

"I was, very much so." Kaoru turned her face away from Yumi and sunk into the couch. "But that's all over now."

"I'm sorry, Kaoru. I didn't mean to make you feel sad or anything. I don't want you to dwell about the past if it saddens you." Yumi rubbed Kaoru's shoulders in remorse.

"No, I'm alright. We were together for a long time, but it's been almost a year now and I've become a much stronger person because of it." Kaoru gave a sheepish smile at Yumi.

"Well, go take a shower and go to bed. Didn't you tell me that you start work at a junior high school early tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I do! I have to meet the teachers and attend the school's morning ceremony. I'm excited, but jeez, it takes me an hour by train to get there! If you include the walk from here to the station and from the station to the school, the total travel time is one and a half hours! Can you believe it?" Kaoru stood up, throwing away their now empty drinks.

"Sleep early and get lots of rest!" Yumi smiled.

"Yes, I definitely will try my best to." Kaoru slumped her shoulders as she went to take a shower.

"Sweet dreams, honey!" Yumi shouted as she passed the bathroom door to head upstairs.

"You too, sweetheart!" It certainly was a bit interesting living with Yumi.

* * *

A/N:

Although some scenes are exaggerated, there are a certain number of scenes that were completely fictitious. Can you guess which scenes they were? Have a guess and I will reveal and explain at the end of the next chapter!

Please comment your thoughts! They are greatly appreciated!

Also, I'm starting Chapter 3 right now, though still in the process of revising Chapter 2. I will be taking a road trip this weekend and will be back to post Chapter 2 either Monday or Tuesday! Please wait for it! :P

Preview of Chapter 2 – The Meeting:

 _Moving her eyes to the next person, her eyes widened in surprise as she saw that he was staring directly into her eyes. She quickly looked down at the papers sprawled all over the table, pretending to read them. She could still feel his intense gaze on her as the time passed. In the few seconds that she had looked at him, she could tell he was a handsome man. She had caught a glimpse of his brown, almost red-like hair tied down in a low ponytail. His eyes were also a strange hue of… was it violet that she saw?_


	2. Chapter 2: The Meeting

A/N: In no way do I own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters. I do, however, own this story.

 **Tokyo in Love**

Chapter 2 – The meeting

Kaoru woke up to her first alarm ring. She was wide-awake and ready to tackle the day head on! She quietly got ready and had breakfast because Yumi did not have to wake up as early as she. She quietly closed the front door and typed in a code on the keypad to lock the door. She took one last look down at her clothes and dusted off a few pieces of lint on her skirt. She was wearing black heels, a black skirt, a cream striped button-up with a bow tied in the front, finished with an elbow length blazer. She also had her hair tied up with a ribbon. She felt professional and confident.

 _Off to school!_

After a long train ride to the school, which thankfully wasn't crowded because the direction she had to take was leaving the center of Tokyo, she arrived at the ticket gate and met with one of the coordinators from her company, ILS- International Language Services. In addition to teaching business classes in the evenings (generally from 6 p.m. till 9 p.m.), she would be teaching at Higashi Moriyama Junior High School from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

The coordinator showed Kaoru the way to the junior high school, which Kaoru was grateful for but damn was it hot! Why did she have to wear black of all days? They had been walking for what felt like 30 minutes in the sweltering heat until they finally reached the school. She could feel sweat beads rolling down her back as she tried to play it off by quickly excusing herself to the restroom.

 _Okay Kaoru, quickly clean yourself up and make a good impression! Remember, first impressions are the most lasting impressions! Damn, I forgot that I wouldn't be driving a car to work everyday… I would so love to blast cold ac at my face right now if I had a car..._

She grabbed a handkerchief from her purse and quickly dabbed away at the sweat on her face and lower back. This restroom had no paper towels… Not to mention… She went up to one of the stalls and slowly pushed one of the doors open with her foot. She stared in horror at what she saw. This was not what she was expecting at all in this day and age! There, in the stall was a… was a…

Japanese-style toilet!

 _Oh. My. God._

No, not the awesome kinds of toilets that spray water at your asshole, warm your butt cheeks, or plays jingles for you. These were traditional types of toilets where you had to squat down to relieve yourself. _No wonder it smells like piss in here!_ Kaoru opened each stall only to discover that each and every one of them were traditional Japanese-style toilets to her dismay. _I guess I'll try my best to just hold it in all day…_

"Miss Kaoru, are you done yet?" the coordinator called from outside the bathroom door. "The principal, head teacher, and English teachers are all ready to meet you!"

"Yes, I'm coming!" Kaoru quickly left the bathroom and stared at the coordinator with knotted eyebrows. "The bathrooms are… kind of scary…"

The coordinator looked at Kaoru and wrinkled her nose. "I know, I've been working with this school's area for years. They're one of the oldest schools in the city!"

 _Okay, let's not let one small thing get you down, Kaoru! Time to meet some co-workers!_

They walked into a small room with an oversized circular desk in the middle. 5 different people greeted Kaoru and it was hard for her to remember their names as they introduced themselves very quickly. Kaoru and the coordinator sat on one side of the table while the Japanese English Teachers (JETs) sat across from them. The principal sat at an adjoining seat while the head principal stood next to him. Kaoru glanced around the room a bit nervously as she felt all eyes were on her. "Kochira wa Kamiya Kaoru-san degozaimasu. Nihonjin no haafu desukedo, kanojo wa Amerika de soudachimashita…" The coordinator immediately began introducing Kaoru in Japanese, but the conversation became more business-like and difficult for her to follow along. Kaoru looked over at each of the JETs sitting across from her. The person sitting on the left was a small, short girl with a long braid cascading down her back. Her face seemed so down-to-earth that she had a sudden strong urge to befriend her. She looked at the girl's nametag that hung from a lanyard around her neck _. Misao … okay, I can't read the kanji of her last name. But I have to remember that that is Misao. (a/n: Kanji are Chinese characters)_

Moving her eyes to the next person, her eyes slightly widened in surprise as she saw that he was staring directly into her eyes. She quickly looked down at the papers sprawled all over the table, pretending to read them. She could still feel his intense gaze on her as the time passed. In the few seconds that she had looked at him, she could tell he was a handsome man. She had caught a glimpse of his brown, almost red-like hair tied down in a low ponytail. His eyes were also a strange hue of… was it violet that she saw? It was hard to remember, but she didn't want to be caught staring at him again. Slightly looking up again, she peeked at the man to the right of the handsome teacher. The last teacher was incredibly tall and lanky with ruffled brown hair. He looked like he didn't care for much of anything and… _was that a toothpick sticking out of the side of his mouth?_ His nametag read: _Sanosuke_ For some reason, Kaoru's eyes were drawn to the man in the center. She tried to play it cool by pretending to glance past him, but she saw from her peripheral that he was staring at her again. Feeling her face getting flushed from his gaze, she tried focusing on random objects in the room. Various student photography hung around the room, plaques for who-knows-what, etc. She looked anywhere and everywhere except for where that man was sitting.

Suddenly everyone stood up and began bowing to each other, to which Kaoru quickly followed suit. Everyone began leaving the room one by one, and just as Kaoru was about to exit, the red-haired teacher stopped her. "Miss Kaoru, could you understand all of that?" he asked her with perfect English.

"Umm, some of it. I got lost after awhile and began to space out, honestly." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly as she looked at him in the eyes. They _were_ violet! _How odd yet intriguing._ "Actually, there are a total of 5 JETs here, 2 of them are busy with the morning assembly at the moment. If you have time, won't you introduce yourself to the students right now?" he asked. Kaoru was a little bit shocked at how firmly he held his gaze. Most of the men she had managed to start a conversation with in Japan were too nervous to maintain eye contact. But this teacher kept his eyes directly on hers, not flickering for a millisecond.

The coordinator took a quick glance at her wristwatch. "Oh yes, Miss Kaoru, please join the morning assembly and introduce yourself to the students. I must get back to the office now. Do you remember how to get back to the station from here?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, I think I do. Thank you for taking the time to introduce me to the school!" Kaoru bowed slightly and gave her a gracious smile.

"No problem! Good luck with classes! Please contact me if you have any further questions!" and just like that, the coordinator left.

"Miss Kaoru, please come with me to the auditorium." The red-haired teacher beckoned her to follow him.

"Oh yes, sorry!"

"It's okay!" he smiled.

"By the way… I'm sorry, but earlier I couldn't catch your name when everyone was introducing each other. What was it again?" Kaoru asked politely.

After a few seconds of thought, he answered "… Ken Watanabe".

"Ehh, uso! You're kidding, you have the same name as the famous actor Ken Watanabe?"

"You know him, do you?"

"Of course I do! Almost everyone knows who he is! The Last Samurai, Inception, Godzilla…" Kaoru counted off with each finger.

"Hahaha, I'm just joking with you. My name is Himura Kenshin. Please call me Kenshin." He reached out his hand for her to shake as they continued to walk down the halls towards the auditorium. Kaoru readily extended her hand to shake his, looking at him directly into his eyes. _His eyes are really unique..._ Time seemed to slow down a little bit as they shook hands and locked eyes on each other. But because of this, she didn't realize that the ground became uneven directly between the hallway and the auditorium, and you guessed it- she tripped and yelped, almost falling on her face if it wasn't for Kenshin's hand she was holding onto.

"Are you alright, Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin asked as she lifted her head to look at him.

"Ah, yes, I am. Sorry, I'm such a clutz all the time." Kaoru sheepishly grinned at him. Blushing, she immediately let go of his hands and stood up straight.

Kenshin smiled, not sure what "clutz" meant, but assumed it meant something like clumsy. "Well, this is the auditorium. Let's enter and have you introduce yourself!"

And as they walked into the auditorium, Kaoru's eyes grew wide in shock at what she saw. Over 300 students dressed in dark blue uniforms were all lined in rows with equal distance between each other and they were all staring at her! They were all staring at her because… well because she had just screamed at the entrance.

 _So much for a good first impression…_

Kaoru awkwardly laughed and waved at all the students as Kenshin led her down the aisle and towards the stage. She could hear all the students whispering to each other as she walked past them.

"Who's that?"

"Eh, kawaii!"

"She's beautiful!"

"The new ALT?"

Kaoru felt her face turning pink from their comments. They stood beside the stairs of the stage for a while as the principal continued talking about the importance of doing their best in school despite adversities. This was how morning assemblies usually were in Japan and _man were they boring_. She peered into the rows of students and saw Misao reprimanding a student for talking while the principal was speaking. Noticing Kaoru's attention on Misao, Kenshin offered her some information about her. "That's Miss Makimachi. The students love her a lot because of her fun attitude. I think all people from Okinawa are naturally fun to be around, that I do."

"Oh, she seems really nice!" They briefly smiled at each other before turning their attention back to the principal. Kaoru began to space out again as the speech was getting her sleepy when suddenly Kenshin nudged her and whispered to her that it was time for her to go on stage and introduce herself. "Please speak slowly for the students!" Kenshin added in at the last second, giving her a smile for encouragement. Kaoru looked down at the five steps to the stage, careful not to trip this time. She could hear the students giggling as she did this. When she reached the podium, she leaned into the mic and spoke loud and slowly, "Hello everyone! It's nice to meet you all! My name is Kaoru and I will be your new ALT! I look forward to teaching you in class!" and then she leaned away from the mic and gave a small bow. The students applauded and she could here the students' comments again.

"Kawaii!"

"Could you understand her?"

"Man, her pronunciation is too difficult to understand!"

"Well duh, she's a native English speaker."

"Her voice is so cute!"

She quickly walked off the stage and stood next to Kenshin in relief. "Thank you, you did well! The students seem to already like you, that they do!" Kenshin smiled again at her. Kaoru gave him an awkward laugh in response. "I really hope so!" she replied.

A/N: Yay, they met! I also don't get the Japanese-toilet system. They are either of 2 extremities- super high-tech or primitive. Why not just a normal toilet?! *sigh*

I had a great time writing this and I wish I had brought my laptop with me during my weekend vacation because I really wanted to continue working on this!

Please comment your thoughts! They are greatly appreciated! I need your constant motivation! :) I will reply to reviews in the next chapter, so look forward to it!


	3. Chapter 3: First Day as an ALT

A/N: In no way do I own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters. I do, however, own this story.

* * *

 **Tokyo in Love**

Chapter 3 – First day as an ALT

Once the assembly was over, the teachers waited for the students to filter out before heading back to the teacher's office. Kaoru followed Kenshin as he was the only person so far who had talked to her. Upon entering the teacher's office, she was taken aback by the sheer mess and frenzy it was in. The front of all the desks were pushed together in two long rows like a daunting Asian parking lot. Despite each desk overflowing with stacks of papers and books, the teachers continued rushing around, barely bumping into one another as they hurriedly prepared for the day's first lesson. She'd never seen so many people running to get things done inside a room before!

Kenshin guided Kaoru to a vacant desk near the head teacher's desk. It and the desks around it were the only ones that were free of clutter. "This is the ALT's desk." Kenshin touched the desk. "I'll be sitting right behind you, that I will." He pointed at a cluttered desk across the narrow aisle. "I am in charge of anything ALT-related, so if there is anything you need, please let me know."

"Oh, that's very nice to know. I'll probably be swamping you with a million questions." Kaoru joked.

Kenshin smiled and shook his head. "That's fine. Although unfortunately, we won't be teaching that much together. There are 5 English teachers at this school- the norm is 3. Usually there is 1 teacher per grade (7th-9th grade). So I'm kind of like an extra teacher here, doing a lot of paperwork and subbing for the other English teachers. Although, I do teach Japanese Culture and Tradition every Thursday and Friday to the 3rd year students. (A/N: Equivalent to 9th graders) Those are about my only regular classes. I'm also in charge of the Kendo club after class every Monday and Wednesdays. If you have time, please stop by to see! I think that the students would be very happy to see you there!"

"Oh… Yes, I'd love to but I teach business classes on certain nights after school. But I will let you know soon if I can." Kaoru replied, a bit disappointed that they wouldn't be able to teach together regularly. But at least he sits right behind her! For some reason, she found herself having a lot of trust in him because of his kind nature. He made her feel calm and safe in this frantic little teacher's office. "If you ever need help regarding anything to English, don't hesitate to ask!" she chirped.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Kenshin glanced up at the ceiling. "The teachers all want you to do a self-introduction for each of the classes on your first day tomorrow. Please bring pictures if you can. The students would really enjoy that, that they would."

"Oh sure, that'd be no problem! What kind of information should I include?" Kaoru asked. What would the students like to know about her? She didn't have any ideas.

"Hmm, perhaps… your hobbies, your interests, your hometown and whatever you want!" Kenshin grinned.

"Okay, I'll have it ready by tomorrow!"

"Good, thank you! Well, that's it for today. Sorry you won't be paid for today since your classes don't begin until tomorrow. Do you remember how to get back to the station from here?" Kenshin began walking her to the door.

"Yes, it's not difficult at all! I just exit left, make an immediate right, then turn left on the big road and just head down it until I get to the station, right?" Kaoru said, pointing her index finger left, right, and left again.

"Ii desu ne, you have a good memory, that you do! Well then, it was a pleasure meeting you and sorry that the other teachers didn't have much time to speak with you. They're all busy getting ready for the first class of the day. I usually don't have a first class, so I'm very glad that I was able to explain a few things to you, that I am." Kenshin gave a deep bow and Kaoru blushed from such respect, quickly returning the bow. He led her to the front gate and bowed to her again, to which she bowed back in return. She was kind of getting the hang of this bowing thing. Saying one last thanks, she made her way back to the station and to her apartment in one piece.

 _Well, that wasn't so bad! The students seem to be interested in me and Kenshin seems really really nice. But why was he staring so intently at me in the office? Is it like a Japanese thing to do? I thought they were generally shyer with eye contact… The way he was looking into my eyes while we were talking made me feel so… I don't know how to describe this feeling…_

Kaoru felt a faint blush creeping up to her cheeks. Shaking her head, she looked out the window of the train, watching the blur of the cement foreground whiz by as the rest of city buildings slowly moved behind it. What would tomorrow bring for her, she wondered.

* * *

The following day, Kaoru entered back into the school. The students all turned their heads towards her as they saw the beautiful foreigner enter into the teacher's office. She slowly crept to her desk, no one looking up at her as they were all busy with group meetings at their desk.

"Ohayou gozaimasu." (a/n: = good morning) The head teacher smiled at her, his eyes lost beneath his sagging skin. He was standing behind his desk which was not too far from hers.

"Ohayou gozaimasu!" she replied, bowing her head to him before sitting at her desk. She removed her books from her bags and placed them in her drawers. She also placed her bento she had bought into the very bottom drawer. Not knowing what to do after that, she turned her head to her shoulder and discreetly glanced behind her at Kenshin.

Kenshin was talking to Sanosuke(who had a desk to the left of Kenshin's) about various lesson plans. He was wearing similar clothing from yesterday- a reddish-pink polo, khaki pants, and a dark brown belt. Noticing eyes on him, he shifted his gaze to Kaoru.

"Oro! Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin exclaimed, a little shocked by her presence. He stood up and walked over to her desk. "I'm sorry I didn't notice you come in! It's really loud in here, as you can probably tell." He scratched the back of his head and gave an embarrassed laugh.

"Hey, Jou-chan!" Sanosuke quickly turned his rolling chair so that he was facing Kaoru. "Don't know if ya remember me, but I'm Sano. Is it okay if I call you Jou-chan, Jou-chan?"

'His English is a little strange…' Kaoru thought to herself. "Uh, sure? And of course I remember you!"

"Oh, I'm that memorable, eh?" He gave her a smirk.

 _Is he trying to be sexy?_ Kaoru quietly fumed, wanting for some odd reason to bash his head in with a nearby textbook.

"But anyway, I hope ya prepared your self-introduction! That's pretty much what you'll be doing for the rest of the week. Today, you're all mine!" Sano gave her a lopsided grin.

Kaoru knit her eyebrows at his last statement. Noticing the odd lock that crossed Kaoru's face, Kenshin popped in. "What he means is that today you'll only be teaching with Sano to the 3rd year students." Kaoru made an o-shape with her mouth, looking over at Kenshin again. "Will I be teaching with you this week?" She was hoping they could get better acquainted if they taught together.

"We-"

"Himura-Sensei, onegai shimasu!" 2 young male students suddenly called for Kenshin at the entrance of the teacher's office.

"Hai-!" Kenshin replied, quickly standing up. He gave Kaoru an apologetic look before rushing over to the students. Kaoru watched him flawlessly dodge the herd of teachers bustling around like it was Black Friday.

Grabbing a pile of papers, Sano stood up and took a quick gulp of coffee. "Okay Jou-chan, are you ready for your first class?"

Kaoru turned back to her desk and picked up a small folder containing pictures. She stood up with an eager look on her face, unable to contain her smile. "I certainly am!"

She followed Sano out the door and up two flights of stairs. Outside the teacher's office, the rest of the school was just the same as the teacher's office, just not messy. Students were running all over the place, singing in the hallways, sliding on the floors, laughing out loud, etc. As students passed by, Sano kept saying "morning" to them to which they would reply with a greeting as well, so Kaoru followed suit. Noticing a perky boy running down the stairs and looking straight at her, she smiled at him and asked him "Hi, how are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you! And you?" Before she could reply, he continued to blabber. "My name is Yuichi Shotaro! I am from Tokyo! I like baseball very much!" he ran down the stairs past her, but he continued shouting his own self-introduction that he obviously had memorized. "I am 12 years old! I want to be a pro-baseball player! Thank you very much!"

Kaoru felt the corner of her lips twitch upwards as she watched the boy jump the last 3 steps of the stairs and dart off. "My, they certainly are energetic!" she said to Sano.

"Yeah, that's what I love about junior high school kids!" Sano stood in front of the sliding door to their first classroom and waited a few seconds. "Sorry about my behavior for this class in advance, but this is the most difficult class I have to deal with." He said while glancing back at her.

 _Ding-dong, Ding-Dong, Ding-Dong, Ding-Dong_

Just as the bell for the first hour class rang, Sano violently pulled the sliding door open and not too quietly dropped the folders he had onto the teacher's desk in the front of the classroom. Small particles of dust flew in a small cloud around the pile as students continued to chase each other at the back of the classroom.

"Everyone, SIT DOWN!" Sano screamed, slamming his palm onto the pile of folders to get the students attention. If it was possible, even more dust fogged away from the pile of folders. They all became quiet in an instant and solemnly walked back to their seats.

"Good, well today we have the new ALT joining our class."

Students gasped and Ehhh-ed as Kaoru took a few steps in. All the students were staring wide-eyed at her while a few whispered amongst themselves. She stood next to Sano and waived, "Good morning everyone, how are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you, and you?" The class replied in unison.

"I'm fine, too! My name is Kamiya Kaoru, please call me Kaoru!" _Wow, they seem really enthusiastic! Except for that kid sleeping in the back… Hmmm…_ Kaoru could hear them talking about her again.

"A Japanese name?"

"Is she half?"

"Maybe she's married to a Japanese man!"

"Aw man, there goes my chances!"

Kaoru wanted to reply, but knew she wasn't supposed to use any Japanese with in the classroom. Sighing in voiceless despair, she placed the picture cards she had prepared in front of her chest.

"Alright you twats, listen carefully to her self-intro. Be respectful and save questions till the end." Sano walked off to the back corner, leaning against a wall and nodded for Kaoru to proceed.

Her self-introduction was simple. She talked about her love for working-out and Japanese sweets and her hate for natto and spicy foods. It was pretty simple, she thought. Once she was done, the students didn't applaud. They were lost because they barely understood what she had said. Giving a small bow, the students began to applause. "Okay, so are there any questions for me?" A tidal wave of hands rose. Each question was asked in Japanese, so Sano had to translate it into English and had the student repeat the question in English.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" was the first question.

"Ahaha, no…" Kaoru almost felt depressed as she answered that question, but to her surprise the students seemed giddy by her answer.

"Who is your favorite artist?"

"What's your favorite Japanese food?"

"How old are you?"

Questions kept flying at her from left to right, and Kaoru enjoyed their curiosity they had of her. Seeing movement from the corner of her eyes, she looked towards the sliding door to see a red-headed man smiling at her through the window. Kenshin smiled, waved, and gave her the thumbs-up before slipping quietly away from the door. _How long was he standing there for?_ For some reason, she suddenly felt embarrassed knowing that she was being watched by him.

"Shit, it's about time. Everyone, pass up your homework." Sano went waddling between the narrow aisles the students were sitting in and up to the front of the classroom.

"Sensei, what does 'shit' mean?" A student asked.

"Shit?" Sano looked over to Kaoru. _Does he expect me to explain what shit means to the students?_ Kaoru really wished to smack him right then and there. "Well, it's like an… exclamation of surprise and anger." He suddenly answered. _Wow, he's actually teaching them about shit…_ Kaoru eyed him wearily. _What kind of teacher is he?_

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" the students began to chant. Kaoru internally groaned. Well, being an ALT certainly has been interesting so far…

* * *

A/N: Wow, so many views! Please let me know your thoughts! Hahaha, I can't read your minds!

Okay, so the romance is going to begin the next chapter, I've decided. For this chapter, I just wanted to introduce the workplace and how classes usually go. Something like this lol

I'm in the States for a couple of weeks and then will be heading back to Tokyo. I'm getting a new apartment, so please don't get mad if I don't update around March 5th! I'll try to write in advance so that I can post within that time... so it doesn't feel so long!

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! :D


	4. Chapter 4: Settling In

A/N: If I can not own Kenshin... can he own me? *puppy eyes*

Okay, so there are a few questions about Kaoru's past. I think it would be boring to just let you know all of it in a semi-biography-like chapter, so it will occur with lots of drama. and zing. Alright, let's get the show on the road!

* * *

 **Tokyo in Love**

Chapter 4 – Settling In

After teaching 4 classes, it was time for lunch. Kaoru sat at her desk, letting her exhausted feet take a break.

 _Man, it's tiring standing that long without ever sitting! No wonder everyone here is so skinny!_

Kaoru sulked as she took out her bento. After a few bites, she quickly consumed it, surprised at how delicious a convenient store bento was. Once she was done, she headed over to the back where multiple trashcans awaited her. She looked into one that was filled with clear wrapping paper and plastic bags. Another one had milk cartons and newspaper in it. Another had plastic bottles in it. Another had foil in it.

 _What the hell! I just want to throw away my chopsticks and bento!_

Confused, she cast her gaze across the teacher's office for help. There were teachers sprinkled here and there, eating their own lunches. (A/N: Teachers generally eat with their homeroom class. If they do not have a homeroom class, like Kaoru, then they eat in the teacher's office) Her eyes saw only unfamiliar faces until it reached a certain redhead quietly eating at his desk. Face suddenly brightening, she walked over to Kenshin.

Sensing her approaching him, he set down his bento and chopsticks to turn towards her. "Is there something the matter, Miss Kaoru?" he asked, feeling a little embarrassed as she stared at his bento. She had reason to stare at his bento because the food he had looked like it came from a 5-star restaurant! The tempura he had looked freshly crisp, the vegetables had a vibrant array of green, orange, and yellow, and his rice looked whiter than any rice she had ever laid eyes on. To top it off, his bento box was made out of traditional bamboo. The damn thing seemed to be emitting an aura of gold.

"Miss Kaoru?" he asked, knocking her out of her daze.

"Oh yes, sorry! Your bento looks amazing! Did your… wife make that for you?" she asked, almost hesitantly.

"Actually, I made it myself, as I do not have a wife, that I do not." He smiled as he scratched the back of his head. "I really enjoy cooking! How about you? Do you make your own lunch?"

 _Pfff._ "Haha, no I don't really cook that well. I bought a bento from the store today for lunch. Which reminds me, can you help me separate the trash from my lunch? All the trashcans really confuse me…" Kaoru reached one hand to her opposite elbow, rubbing it in embarrassment as her eyes drifted in another direction.

"Oh, certainly! Americans don't separate their trash like here, do they?"

"Nope! Not even close! Figuring out this trash separation thing is like learning a foreign language in another foreign language! I don't quite understand what's going on…"

Kenshin chuckled and headed to the back of the teacher's office with Kaoru quickly following him. He grabbed her bento she had left near the trashcans and rinsed out the leftovers in the sink. After shaking it lightly to get rid of the excess water, he put the plastic bento box inside the trashcan with the plastic bags and threw the chopsticks into the trashcan with the cartons.

"Oh my god, that's so much work to just throw away your lunch!" Kaoru exclaimed with her hand up to her mouth.

"It's not that much work!" He said with a surprised look on his face. "This is normal here."

"Haha, I'd just dump everything in one trashcan at home!"

Kenshin smiled at her and shook his head. "By the way- earlier, you had asked me if we would be teaching together today. Unfortunately, we aren't scheduled for any classes together this week." _Was there a tinge of regret in his voice?_

"Oh… Well, if you need help with anything, I'd be happy to help you!" Kaoru tried to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Same here." Kenshin grinned at her. "So Miss Kaoru, how are you liking Tokyo? Have you been all around the city yet?" he asked. They stayed in the back chatting, as this was the only area to talk privately without seeming suspicious of anything.

"I've only been to a few places- like Shibuya. But not much. I don't really know where to start! Where would you recommend I go?" Kaoru tilted her head in curiosity.

"Hmm… How about I show you around Tokyo? Miss Makimachi can join us as well!"

"That sounds great! When should we go?" Kaoru asked.

"Let me check my and Miss Makimachi's schedule, but it will definitely be on the weekend, that it will."

"Sure, that's fine with me. Let me know when you find out."

"Yes, so now… You're husband won't be upset that you'll be going out with me and Miss Makimachi now, will he?" Kenshin humored.

Kaoru blushed at his assumption and turned her face to the side, lifting her nose high up in pride. "I'll have you know that I am not married nor am I seeing anyone."

"Sorry, sorry!" Kenshin raised both his hands in defense. "I just thought that perhaps you were married to a Japanese man because your Japanese sounds pretty good from what I've heard so far. Please take it as a compliment!"

The bell rang, indicating the end of lunch. Kenshin's eyes widened as he realized that he barely got to eat his lunch because of his conversing with Kaoru. Quickly excusing himself, he went back to his table to quickly down his food while Kaoru went back to her seat and waited for the next class to begin. Peeking at Kenshin's back from behind and from the side of her eyes, she felt herself wanting to talk to him more. About anything and everything. Whenever they talked, she could feel his eyes admiring hers. Whenever she was looking in another direction, she could still feel his eyes on her. He never stopped looking at her for a second whenever they talked.

Waiting for the perfect time when they next spoke, she would prepare herself to catch the way he would look at her. She would try to figure out what it was that was in his eyes. _Such kind, unwavering lilac eyes…_

"Okay Jou-chan, let's get going!" Sano hit her lightly on the head with his folders. Blushing and playfully swatting his folders from her head, she stood up, straightening out her bangs from the ruffle.

"Mou, Sano! A girl's hair is not to be taken lightly!" Kaoru playfully scowled at him and followed him out the door. The English teachers really made her feel welcomed already. As she walked towards the door, she couldn't help but feel like there were a pair of eyes on her. She did her best not to look back and shut the door to the teacher's room behind her.

* * *

Kenshin glanced over at Kaoru's figure leaving the teacher's room, internally sighing. She was the most beautiful ALT the school has ever had. And it was hard to take his eyes off of her. They really were lucky to have such a cute ALT! Kenshin smiled to himself thinking about being her tour guide around Tokyo. He would make sure that she would have a memorable time in Tokyo! Tying his bento with a furoshiki (A/N: A traditional Japanese wrapping cloth), he placed it back in his drawer and quickly left for his classroom. _I'm really looking forward to the rest of the year with Miss Kaoru here, that I am._

* * *

A couple of days later, it was Kaoru's turn to teach with Misao. Misao taught English to the 2nd year junior high school students (A/N: 8th graders) and Kaoru was excited to see how these kids would be like. She waited at her desk, but Misao was nowhere to be found in the teacher's office. The first-hour bell rang, but still no sign of Misao. Turning around to face Kenshin, she asked worriedly, "Is Misao alright? We're supposed to be teaching together."

"Oro? That's strange, she's usually always on time." Kenshin placed his pen down and politely asked the principal about Misao's whereabouts.

"Oh, that high-tempered-Misao is reprimanding a student in the counseling room right now for picking on another student. She may be a few minutes late for class." The principal answered.

Standing up, Kenshin looked over to Kaoru. "Shall I take you to the classroom? You can wait there until Miss Makimachi arrives."

Nodding, Kaoru got up and contentedly followed Kenshin out of the teacher's office. "How are the students?" Kenshin asked as they began walking up the stairs.

"Oh, they're great! I've only taught with the third-year students, but they seem very enthusiastic!"

"That's good to hear, that it is!"

Kaoru noticed Kenshin climbing the stairs a bit faster than she was, so she quickly tried to catch up. _Why do men always walk so much faster-_

 _Click-clack, THUMP_

And yet again, she tripped on a step. Unfortunately, Kenshin wasn't able to catch her this time because he was walking ahead of her. He quickly turned around to see Kaoru sprawled awkwardly on the stairs. He impulsively hopped down a few steps to her side as she struggled to get up. Her chin had made a direct hit.

"Oro? Miss Kaoru, what are you doing down there?" Kenshin asked half jokingly as he helped her stand up.

"Oh, you know, just getting a nice view of you from down there." Kaoru was masking her embarrassment with slight sarcasm. Kenshin chuckled lightly but suddenly turned serious as he saw Kaoru rubbing her chin in pain.

"Are you alright? Let me take a look." Leaving no room for arguments, he cupped Kaoru's chin with one hand and gently tilted it up so that he could check for any wounds. "Hmm, there seems to be a bruise forming. You should go to the nurse's office after class. Miss Megumi will take great care of this for you. She is our school's nurse."

Glad that his eyes were focused on her chin, she felt her cheeks turning pink from his proximity and touch. "Oh, I'll be fine. I've done worse before." Kaoru gently stepped out of his grasp and gestured for him to continue leading her to class. Nodding with a worried gaze, they continued up the stairs and to the classroom. Upon opening the sliding door, Misao was already inside, passing out papers to the students. A few gasps were let out as the students stopped what they were doing to stare at Kaoru.

"The new ALT!" the students whispered to each other.

Giving a light laugh, she looked back to the door as it was being silently shut. Kenshin gave her a smile and a wave from the window before turning around and walking away.

"Kaoru! Oh my gosh! I totally forgot that today you would be joining my class!" Misao gushed forward at Kaoru with wide green eyes and worried eyebrows. "I had to deal with some naughty students and forgot to get you!"

"It's okay! Kenshin was kind enough to show me the way to your classroom!"

"I'll have to thank that Himura later!" Misao gave her a big grin and turned to face the front of the class. "Okay kids, this here is Miss Kaoru, our new ALT! She will be joining our-"

"Sensei, does that mean there's no quiz today?" A student interjected.

Misao glared at the student in the back who had interrupted her. She wadded up a piece of notebook paper and threw it at the student. Pointing a giant finger and giving a deep frown, she exploded, "NO INTERRUPTING TEACHERS UNTIL THEY'RE COMPLETELY DONE SPEAKING! And just for that, only YOU will be receiving the quiz today."

"… Hai…" the student replied meekly as all the other students giggled.

Because of her small size, it was hard to take Misao seriously in her fuming state. She was actually kind of cute when she was angry. _No wonder the students love her so much…_

And so the rest of the day continued normal, though Kaoru grew tired of her own self-introductions the more she did them. Tomorrow would be Friday, the day she would get to teach the first year students(A/N: 7th graders). She was especially excited for this because the first year students still looked like cute elementary school students. Though she had no idea who the first year teachers were, she just knew there were two of them. She caught a glimpse of one them before she had went home, but was unable to speak with him as he had a meeting to attend to. He was almost an entire torso taller than she with black hair and ice blue eyes. His demeanor even seemed cold…

To be continued…

* * *

A/N: Okay, this chapter was a bit long! Also, it's kinda hectic right now! I'll try to update once more next week, and then it's back to Tokyo for me, so please sit tight as I look for an apartment! Lol I've already got a start onto Chapter 5, so I promise it'll be out next week! If you liked what you read, please review! Any mistakes, thoughts, etc. please let me know!

Some cultural notes:

\- All Japanese teachers do not have their own classroom. Instead, the students have their own, shared classrooms and it is the teachers who come to them. That is why the teacher's office is a bit craaaaazy

\- Teachers have the option to eat school lunches or bring their own. Many bring their own because the calories of school lunches are ridiculously high to support growing children

\- Trash separation is a nightmare in Japan. There's just too many categories lol I've personally snuck outside in the middle of the night to take out my trash in fear of not separating it properly...

\- I don't know what it is about Tokyo... but I always tripped. The ground is always uneven! It's like there was once a really old road, and then they placed a step and a new road next to it without any warnings. I think I trip about once a week. LOL

Lastly, a quick thanks to melay, Compucles, CupofTeaforAliceandHatter, jenbow, and momsy for suggestions and encouragement! Greatly appreciated! ^^


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